Inevitable Reality
by DancingWithPeacocks
Summary: Modern AU: Arthur’s a knight, Merlin’s a druid, Mordred is creepy and seven and Morgana takes it all in stride.


Title: Inevitable Reality

Author: Solarbaby614

Rating: T

Disclaimer: All I own is the plot.

Words: 10,104.

Summary: Arthur's a knight, Merlin's a druid, Mordred is creepy (and seven) and Morgana takes it all in stride.

Notes: Thanks to livejournal's hanelissar for being the awesome beta that she is and spiting out fixes faster than I could fix them. Also thanks to dark_shadow, m14mouse, nightswhisper, and dj_rocca for listening to me whine about procrastinating on this for about a month. Written for livejournal's reel_merlin community.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

"Good morning Camelot! The time is six twenty-five on your radio and you're listening to WKLZ. We're going to start your morning off with a little--."

The radio was cut off as a hand reached out and slapped at it, missing a few times before finally hitting its mark. There were a few blissful moments of silence before the knocking began at his bedroom door. He just let out a groan and snuggled back under his comforter in hopes that whoever it was would just go away and let him sleep.

No such luck. There was a blissful moment of peace before the banging started up again. Louder this time, as if the person was doing it just to annoy him. "You're going to be late if you don't hurry!" His sister's voice called through his door. "Wakey-wakey sunshine. If you're not outside in ten minutes I'm taking the car and leaving you behind."

"Alright damn it! I'm up!" he yelled as he tossed the covers aside.

Arthur could hear a muffled huff followed by a snide 'About time' through the door. It was silent for a moment as Arthur refused to reply to the remark. Finally, she seemed to figure out that she wasn't getting a response and he heard her heels as they clicked down the hall.

And with that, Arthur Pendragon promptly rolled over and fell back asleep.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"I can't believe I'm going to be late," Arthur hissed to himself as he dodged around another person, barely avoiding crashing into woman carrying bags. "Sorry," he called over his shoulder at her. "Damn Morgana...can't believe she left me behind," Arthur muttered under his breath.

Arthur felt annoyed glares being shot his way as he ran down the street. The bus appeared around the corner and he could…

He stepped off the curb and was halfway across the road when he felt himself being pulled back by an unseen force.

Arthur hit the ground with a soft thump. He rolled himself into a sitting position, just in time to see a speeding car come squealing past. Right where he would have been standing.

"You should be more careful. Next time you might not be so lucky."

The one who had spoken was a gangly black-haired teen about his age, who was dressed in black with a green bandana tied around his wrist. He was gathering the spilled papers from where they had scattered when Arthur had crashed to the ground, seemingly unfazed that their owner had nearly been flattened like a pancake. He looked familiar.

The papers were being held out to him but Arthur was too busy looking between the teen and the road to notice. "Gah--. I was-- but you-- then-- I was nearly hit! By a car! I was nearly hit by a car! I could have been killed!"

All he received for his panicked ramblings was an amused look. "But you weren't."

"That's because... I was pulled back." He turned to the boy, accusingly. "By you! You used magic!"

A weary look appeared in the boy's eyes and he shoved the stuff into Arthur's hands. "Yes and you're not dead."

"You can't use magic here!"

The teen muttered something that sounded suspiciously like 'prat'. "Using magic isn't illegal, no matter what people around here want to think."

Arthur just stared up at the teen who started shifting uncomfortably.

"Okay, then," the dark haired teen glanced away quickly before turning back with a smirk. "You missed your bus."

"Wha--," he turned in time to see the bus pull away from the stop. "Damn it!" Arthur quickly shoved the rest of his stuff into his bag before turning back to the teen.

Only he was gone.

oOoOoOoOoOo

The next time he saw the boy was only a few hours later. Leaving his world history class, Arthur caught sight of the boy leaving a chemistry lab with Morgana, waving as he headed in the opposite direction. He grabbed her arm as she moved past him.

"Look," she began, "If this is about me leaving you behind this morning, I told you that if you didn't hurry I was going to--."

Arthur cut her off with a wave of the hand. "Who was that?"

A confused expression crossed her face. "What? Who?" She glanced around, obviously believing she missed something. "What are you going on about now?"

He gave a sound of annoyance. "The guy you were leaving the lab with."

"Oh, you mean Merlin."

"Merlin?" He would have snorted if not for the warning look on her face.

"Yes, Merlin." She crossed her arms and glared. "Why?"

Arthur frowned and looked at her intently. He wondered for a moment just what was going on between her and this Merlin. The last thing Morgana needed was to get involved with a magic user. But her face betrayed no emotion other than strong annoyance that she usually reserved for when he was being especially stupid. "No reason."

"Now look, Arthur," she began, "You leave Merlin alone. He hasn't done anything to you. I don't care if he is a druid. He's a good guy." With that she turned and stomped off, leaving a slightly confused Arthur in her wake.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"Arthur Pendragon."

"What?" Merlin looked up from where he was stretched out on the hood of his car.

"Arthur Pendragon," Gwen repeated. "He's been asking about you."

"Oh." He shrugged and went back to his book, idly doodling in the margins. "Yeah, we had a bit of a run in earlier today."

"Really?" She hopped up on the car beside him. When he didn't elaborate she elbowed him in the side to get his attention. There was a look of irritation in reply but he rolled over on to his back just the same. "Well… are you going to tell me what happened?"

"I wasn't planning to."

That got him another elbow to the stomach. "Merlin!"

"Ah! Alright, alright!" He rubbed the abused area. "Geez, you're abusive, you know that? I don't know why I hang out with you," he groused.

"Because you love me," she replied. "And stop changing the subject."

"I'm not," Merlin denied. He paused for a moment, before shrugging. "I pulled him out of the way before he got hit by a car."

"What? This morning? Is that why you were almost late for homeroom?"

"Yep."

"That's kinda awesome." Gwen looked impressed by this, grinning. "You saved the life of the Mayor's son."

He shook his head. "No, you don't understand. When I say I pulled him out of the way, I mean I _pulled_ him out of the way."

"Oh. Oh!" Her eyes went wide with realization. "You…?" She trailed off and waved her hand around in a motion that he assumed was supposed to represent 'magic'.

"Yep."

"Merlin…" Her voice was long suffering and tinged with worry.

Merlin instantly became defensive. "What was I supposed to do? Let him get hit?"

"Well… no." She frowned and started to pick at her nails. "But you know it's not a good idea to draw too much attention to yourself."

He sent her what he hoped was a reassuring grin but he wasn't sure how well it came off. The look of exasperation she wore said not so well. "There's nothing to worry about, Gwen. I doubt he even knows who I am."

A frown crossed her face. For a moment it seemed as the thought upset Merlin. "It's probably for the best, Merlin. He's a knight. You know how they are."

"Morgana's not like that," he reminded her.

"Well, Morgana is special."

He snorted. "You're special."

Gwen promptly shoved him off the hood of the car.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"What do you want?"

Merlin gave a visible jerk and barely caught himself from slamming his head into the door of his locker. He pulled back and glanced around the mostly empty hallway, jumping slightly when he caught sight of the blonde standing right behind him. "Geez…" His grip tightened on his backpack. "What is the matter with you? Didn't anyone ever teach you not to sneak up on people?!"

Arthur stared back calmly.

"Did you want something?" Merlin turned back to his locker and pulled out his math book, shoving it in his bag before slamming the door.

"I just want to know what you want," Arthur repeated.

A startled look crossed Merlin's face before morphing into confusing. "You came over here," he said. He wondered for a moment if maybe Arthur had slammed his head into the sidewalk harder than Merlin thought.

"You saved my life," Arthur replied, following Merlin as he headed toward the exit. "I owe you." That was forced, sounding as if it hurt for him to say it and Merlin glanced up at him, catching sight of a pained expression. "So what do you want?"

Merlin stopped at the double doors leading to the school parking lot. "I don't want anything."

Arthur seemed surprised by Merlin's offended tone. "Everyone wants something."

He just shrugged, replying, "Not me," before pushing his way out the doors, leaving a blinking blonde haired prat behind him.

Arthur was about to follow him when a hand landed on his shoulder. Surprised, he spun around violently.

"Woah, hey. You alright?" Lance asked, looking a little wide-eyed, his hands thrown up defensively. "I was just wondering if you could give me ride home."

Arthur turned back around but Merlin was gone. Damn it. "What do you know about a guy who goes here named Merlin?"

"Your sister's lab partner?" Arthur wasn't even going to ask how he knew that. "Um… nothing much. He's a druid. He hangs out with a girl named Gwen a lot. She was in my pre-calculus class. Way smart." His face reddened. "She's a druid too but doesn't have magic." There was a contemplative look on his face before he shrugged. "Which is probably why Merlin hangs out with her so much. From the way I hear it, he isn't all that powerful. None of the other druid's have much to do with him."

"How do you know all this?"

Lance shrugged. "A lot of knights tend to pick on him though. He doesn't ever use his powers to fight back. If I didn't know better I'd think he didn't have magic at all."

"Hmm…" Maybe he could repay the druid back by keeping the other knights from picking on him. It could work. Something like that wouldn't take that much effort. Just a well placed word or two. After they caught on that Merlin was off limits then Merlin would be fine and then they'd be even.

There was a thoughtful expression on Arthur's face and Lance almost made a 'don't hurt yourself' comment but decided against it.

After all, he still needed a ride home.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Arthur saw his first chance to protect Merlin the next day.

The lunch room was crowded, noisy and stuffy and he caught sight of Merlin munching away on sandwich in the corner of the room. Arthur could already see the looks that some of the other knights were sending him, especially Valiant, who was already making his way across the room.

Arthur grabbed his tray and crossed the room, reaching Merlin's table moments before Valiant and plopping his tray down. A quick glare sent the other knight on his way.

Merlin's head snapped up when he heard the tray hit the table. A look of bafflement momentarily crossed his face before morphing into a mixture of annoyance and resignation. "Look, I already told you. I don't want anything from you." He went back to his sandwich.

Arthur just smirked. "Yes, you made that perfectly clear, though I don't know why… My father--," he was cut off by a particularly nasty look. "Right. Anyways, that's not why I'm here."

"Yes," Merlin said. "Why are you here?"

"Actually, I need your help," he replied. "Morgana tells me that you're this wiz in chemistry and the coach tells me that I can't stay on the fencing team if I don't come out of the class with a B. The only problem is… I'm failing."

"Can't daddy just buy you the grade?" The contempt in Merlin's voice surprised Arthur and he bristled at the accusation. No one, no matter what they thought about his father, was stupid enough to say something in front of Arthur.

Arthur frowned, crossing his arms. "He probably could but I don't need him to. I can do this on my own."

"Apparently not, otherwise you wouldn't be asking for my help."

Arthur chose not to dignify that with a response.

"So why did you decide to ask me? Morgana's grades are just as good as mine in that class."

For a moment Merlin thought that Arthur wasn't going to say anything but then he sighed and leaned forward, "Look, if you tell anyone this you'll regret it okay?" He chose to ignore the snort he got in reply. "Morgana refuses to tutor me anymore. We just had a bit of a disagreement about it."

"I'm not even going to ask about what about." From the look Arthur had it was probably a good idea. "Fine. I'll tutor you. But if I think for a second you aren't taking this seriously I'll stop. Got it?"

Arthur nodded, smug.

"Good." Merlin gave a sigh, like he was already regretting it.

Arthur replied by stealing one of his fries.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Merlin yawned as he bounced down the stairs, passing by Mordred who was on his way up. His brother's voice called from him from the top of the stairs, causing him to turn. "What?"

Mordred stared back down at him silently, as if he was contemplating something.

"What?" Merlin muttered.

The seven year old just shook his head. "You have company." And he turned and disappeared down the hall.

Merlin frowned as he absently wondered what Gwen wanted that she would come over this early for. But he froze when he reached the kitchen. Blinking, he wondered if possibly he was still asleep.

Arthur Pendragon was sitting at the kitchen table with a plate of eggs and toast and being fussed over by Merlin's mother.

"Merlin! There you are! I was wondering if you were ever going to get up." Hunith smiled at him as she took the bacon off the stove and heaped it on Arthur's plate.

Arthur seemed a little overwhelmed by this.

When Arthur turned to look at him Merlin was exceedingly grateful that he had had the foresight to put on a shirt before he left the bedroom. Still, Arthur eyes widened slightly and turned slightly red and he jerked his head back towards his food.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"What the bloody hell are you wearing?"

Morgana stopped fiddling with her hair in the mirror and rolled her eyes at her brother. "I'm fairly sure they are called clothes."

"Yes," Arthur bit out. "I can see that. But that wasn't what I meant and you know it. You look like… like…"

"A druid?" She offered. Snorting, she returned to the mirror, running a finger under an eye in an attempt to smudge her already thick eyeliner. "God, can you say stereotyping? That's a bit much, even for you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" He replied. Arthur moved until she could see his disapproving expression behind her in the mirror.

She just looked amused.

"Morgana…" Sometime he felt she really just said things like that to needle him.

"Don't think I don't know how you treated Merlin after you met him. After he _saved_ you." She said, pointedly.

"I don't know what Merlin told you--."

"Oh, please. As transparent as he can be at times, that boy has to be the most close-lipped person I've ever met. He refused to tell me." Morgana shrugged. "So Gwen did."

"Gwen?"

A practically scorching glare was sent his way when she spun around to face him. He didn't cower back at all. Not one bit. Nope. "Good god, Arthur! You cannot be serious! You've met Gwen! Several times!" Arthur was sure the lack of recognition was apparent on his face. "She came with us when we went to see Hairspray?"

There were some vague memories of dark hair and a shy look, practically clinging to Morgana who seemed to eat up all the attention. Of course most of the clinging could have been due to the glaring looks that his father kept sending the girl's way. "Oh, yeah. I remember. But that still doesn't explain what that outfit is about."

She glanced down at her black pants and stripy purple top, frowning. "I'm going to Krystos."

Krystos. Why did that sound familiar? It was a club; that much he knew. But he couldn't ever remember going. Had he been drunk? Suddenly, he remembered. "That's in druid territory!"

"Shh!" She slapped a hand over his mouth, glancing around, as though half expecting Uther to pop out of nowhere and stop her. Grabbing Arthur by the collar of his shirt she pulled him into the living room. "Are you trying to get me in trouble?! What if dad had heard you?"

"Maybe I should go get him! Are you out of your mind? Don't you have any idea how dangerous it is?"

She rolled her eyes. "This isn't the first time that I've gone there."

Watching her shake her head, he had the feeling that she was disappointed in him.

"And I'm going with Merlin and Gwen. Trust me, you're more likely to get into trouble then they are. Of course, that's not saying a lot." Morgana picked up her coat from where it had been haphazardly thrown over a chair.

"I'm going with you."

That caused her stumble, catching and composing herself so fast that Arthur had to wonder if he really saw her stumble in the first place. "What?"

"I'm going with you."

She burst out laughing, but that trailed off when she saw the serious look on his face.

"You have a choice; either take me with you or get dragged back home by dad when I tell him where you went."

"Get your coat."

Arthur grinned as he followed her out the door. He liked it when he won.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Arthur couldn't win for losing.

The music was loud and deep, every thump bouncing through him, reverberating in his chest. Shadows covered a lot more of the club than he thought was possible and he realized with a start that it might be due to magic. Luckily, one of the tables that the group had grabbed was only partially covered in shadows so Arthur could see the beer he was staring morosely at, thankful that they at least had decent drinks, and listened to the others laugh around him.

It wasn't like they hadn't tried to include him in the conversation (Gwen) and he did recognize her no matter what Morgana said, she had gone out of her way to make him feel included. The whole group was surprisingly nice.

That didn't sit with him right.

Druids weren't supposed to be nice. They were supposed to be trouble makers, the more powerful the more dangerous. That's what he had been taught.

Gwen, he had been surprised to learn, had grown up on the boundary, the area where knight's territory blended in with the druid's. It explained how someone without any powers had become a druid. Most parents had better sense than to let their children hang around with magic users. Especially younger ones; whose powers tended to be more volatile and dangerous.

He was squished in a circular booth between his sister and Merlin, who was looking more relaxed than Arthur had ever seen him, drawing patterns in the condensation on his glass of water. Arthur had offered to buy him something better to drink but Merlin just shook his head, mumbling something about alcohol and magic mixing badly. It felt like brush off but Merlin just gave him a grin that did something strange to Arthur's stomach that he chose to ignore, and Arthur forgave him.

"Emrys."

Arthur heard the voice purr, even over the music. He thought he saw Merlin blanch as a dark haired woman slid into the set beside the druid, right at the edge of the bench.

"Nimueh." There was no mistaking the distaste in Merlin's voice but either the woman, Nimueh, didn't hear it or she ignored it.

"I didn't know you'd be here tonight."

"I was kind of hoping it'd stay that way."

Arthur couldn't help but blink at the coldness of Merlin's voice.

"Come on, Emrys." She curled up against Merlin, ignoring him when he tried to slide away.

Merlin kept moving away from her, inching closer and closer to Arthur with each time. He could feel the warmth off the druid and Arthur automatically lifted his arm, sliding it protectively Merlin's shoulder.

This caught Nimueh's attention and she looked him over with disgust. "A knight? Aren't you a little out of your territory?"

"He's welcome here," Morgana hissed.

Glares were sent her way by everyone at the table and under their weight she finally seemed to get the idea she wasn't wanted. Frowning, she stood. "Fine." She looked back over at Merlin. "I'll talk to you later."

And she disappeared into the shadows.

It was a long time before Arthur realized his arm was still around Merlin's shoulder.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Merlin grinned as Arthur awkwardly shifted once again under Mordred's scrutiny. The boy was practically glaring at him from his place on the couch, where he was supposed to be reading. Chemistry textbooks were spread out on the coffee table; Arthur kept glancing up from them to send Mordred furtive glances.

He knew he should probably call his brother out and put a stop to it but damn it if watching Arthur squirm wasn't amusing.

This went on for another fifteen minutes or so, Arthur kept getting more and more distracted, starting to fidget. Merlin bit back a snicker and wondered idly if Mordred had been playing with that magic book under Merlin's bed again or if it was just some creepy little brother thing. Morgana might know.

_Mordred_, he warned, silently.

Mordred snapped his head in Merlin's direction and pouted. Not that Mordred would admit to pouting. No, he was much too grown up for that.

_He's dangerous for you, Merlin_, Mordred's voice echoed through his head.

Merlin shook his head, ignoring Arthur's questioning look. _He's not going to hurt me._

There was a heavy silence for a few moments. Merlin was just beginning to believe he might have won the argument when Mordred spoke up again. _He's going to cause you trouble._

_You worry too much._

Mordred looked far more world-weary than anyone his age had a right to. _You don't believe me. You're going to get hurt. _Mordred turned back to his book. _I don't want you to get hurt._

_I know you don't._ Merlin sent him what he hoped was a reassuring smile. _I can take care of myself. You don't need to worry._

_Not against him, you can't. _There was a decidedly depressed look on Mordred's face. _You never could._

_What's that supposed to mean?_

_..._

_Mordred. Mordred!_

Mordred ignored him, gathering up his books and disappearing up the stairs.

"Dude," Arthur's voice turned his attention back to the other teen. "I don't think your brother likes me."

oOoOoOoOoOo

"I don't think that your father likes me that much."

Merlin sounded more amused by the fact than worried, like any normal person would. Arthur glanced up from the chemistry textbook that was lying on his bed as Merlin proof read Arthur's English essay. He wasn't sure when Merlin became his unofficial tutor in other classes as well but he wasn't complaining. "I wouldn't take it personally. He's not a fan of druids period."

"Yes, I don't know how I'd take that personally," Merlin drily answered.

"You know what I mean."

"Unfortunately."

Arthur grinned as Merlin flopped down on the red comforter, complaining about the abysmal writing.

At some point in time the two of them had reached this comfort level, where Merlin felt at home enough in Arthur's room to opening complain and tease and listen to him bitch without calling him a girl. The only other person who could ever do that was Lance, who had been spending more and more time with Merlin's dark skinned best friend ever since the two had been introduced. It would have been cute had it not been so disgustingly sweet.

It was nice.

A whack to the face with a pillow was what Arthur got for getting lost in his thoughts and he sputtered, glaring at an amused Merlin, who was grinning and holding the crimson pillow triumphantly.

"Oh, this means war."

Merlin eyes widened. "Oh no. Come on, Arthur. It was just a--." He yelped as he tried to defend himself against the constant attack of another pillow. Merlin lost his somewhere between the desk and the closet door as he shot across the floor, Arthur hot on his heels. Of course, Arthur won the fight, pinning Merlin to the ground and laughing.

Yeah, this was nice.

But Arthur refused to think too deeply as to why.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Arthur frowned as he checked his watch once again, leaning against the wall beside the doors. It had been close to thirty minutes but still no Merlin. His car was still in there, one of the last few stragglers that hadn't decided to leave the school yet for one reason or another. Morgana had gone on ahead and taken his car, trusting Merlin to bring Arthur home when they got done studying.

If only the bloody idiot would show up.

He sighed, dumping the bag on the ground and leaning against the brick wall. The last thing he really wanted was the hunt Merlin down but that's what it looked like he was going to have to do. Merlin probably got distracted with homework or something as equally boring.

Grunting, he headed for the doors and up the stairs, checking both the chemistry labs and the library only to find them Merlin-less. He knew he had to be scowling as he headed down the math hall.

A loud clang followed by voices caught his attention has he turned the corner. Arthur froze, recognizing the familiar head of black hair that was pinned against the lockers. Blood was trailing down from a bloodied lip and a bruise forming at the edge of an eye.

He also recognized the man standing menacingly in front of him.

"Valiant!" Arthur was across the room and in the other teens face. "What the hell is the matter with you?"

"Arthur!" Valiant paled, backing away. "Hey man," he muttered.

From the corner of his eye, Arthur saw Merlin snatching up his books, wiping away the blood. That just made him angrier. Valiant obviously saw that on his face and scrambled back.

"Look, man, we were just talking. Right?" Valiant sent Merlin a deadly look over Arthur's shoulder that he caught.

Merlin glared back at him, before shifting uncomfortably, avoiding Arthur's eyes. "Yeah, talking."

What the hell was Merlin doing? Any idiot with half a brain could see that talking was the last thing they were doing. Well, Merlin might have been talking but it seemed that Valiant had other ideas. He sent him a look that conveyed his thoughts. But Merlin just kept his eyes averted.

"Get the hell out of here," He hissed at the Valiant, who skittered off, taking off with obvious relief. The clang of metal of the door slamming echoed down the hallway, evidence of Valiant's haste to get away.

Merlin was shoving his books into bag when Arthur turned to look at him. "You okay?"

"I'm fine." Still refusing to look Arthur's way.

"You sure?" Merlin just gave another nod. "Wanna tell me what that was about?"

"Nope," Merlin replied, standing up.

There was finally eye contact and any annoyance Arthur may have felt vanished in an instant. "Damn it!" Merlin jumped, startled. "How am I supposed to protect you if you won't even tell me what's wrong!"

Merlin's face suddenly darkned. Arthur blinked. "I don't need your help. I can take care of myself, alright?!"

"Obviously not!" Arthur reached out, barely brushing the rapidly darkening busied skin. It was enough to make Merlin flinch back and he dropped his hand. "Jesus, Merlin…" his voice softened.

"I don't need anyone to protect me Arthur. Especially not you." Merlin glared at him and left, leaving a dumbstruck Arthur behind wondering what the hell just happened.

It didn't even occur to him until he reached the parking lot to find Merlin's car gone that he'd have to interrupt Morgana's date and plead for a ride home.

This day just couldn't get any worse.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Arthur had been going to Dr. Gaius as long as he could remember. The man had been the one to give him shots, followed by a sucker (when his father wasn't looking), up to the yearly physical that he had to have for whatever sport his father decided that he should try.

Which explained how he found himself being herded into the tiny, yet lavishly decorated, waiting room early Saturday morning.

Arthur gave a the room a cursory glance, taking in the drab but expensive chairs and plastic plants that probably hadn't been changed out since he was a child, and did a double take when he caught sight of the slight figure in one of the chairs, hunched over a cellphone. For a second he was sure he was seeing things but closer look confirmed his suspicions. There was no mistaking those painfully large ears and bandana wrapped around the wrist.

Merlin.

He moved to stand in front the other teen, catching Uther's curious glance before it landed on Merlin and shifted to disdain. Merlin either didn't notice that he was there or just didn't care because he didn't look up from where he seemed to be playing a game of tetris. Coughing, Arthur slipped into the seat beside him.

This seemed to finally catch Merlin's attention because he jumped, eyes wide, and gaped there for a moment. For some reason that Arthur didn't want to examine he felt his chest tighten.

"Merlin," Arthur began, before pausing, unsure what to say next.

"Arthur." Merlin sounded nervous but that really didn't make sense. "What are you doing here?"

"I was going to ask you the same question."

All he got in response was a shrug. Merlin turned to stare at the empty phone screen for a long moment then snapped it closed and tucked it into the pocket of his black hoodie.

"How have you been?"

"Good, though I'm guessing Morgana's already told you that." Arthur didn't even have the grace to look guilty.

"It's not like I can get you to talk to me."

"We don't have anything to talk about."

"Merlin…"

"Merlin!"

Both of the boys jerked at the voice. They turned to find Gaius standing beside the receptionist's desk, looking more annoyed than anything.

"Gaius." There was obvious relief in Merlin's voice and Arthur didn't know whether to be offended or not. Merlin sprang out of the seat, snatching up his backpack so fast Arthur was surprised Merlin didn't get whiplash.

Gaius' expression softened as he looked the teen over and then he blinked when he caught sight of Arthur. He glanced around to see Uther leaning against a wall beside a tall plastic fern and give him a nod. "Merlin," he turned back, "You're late."

Merlin's sheepish reply of 'am not' wasn't very effective. All he got for his effort was a roll of the eyes.

"Come on then." He motioned toward the backroom, letting Merlin pass him.

"Jeez, you would think you were heading to your death sentence, not having me bring lunch," followed by Gaius' answer of "I've had your mother's experiments in cooking before. I'm just lucky I'm doctor," could be heard as the two disappeared down the hallway.

Arthur nearly fell out of his seat as he leaned over trying to keep sight of them.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"Everything looks good."

Not that Uther expected anything less.

Gaius gave the clipboard another quick once over, nodding. Everything looked in order.

"I don't like him."

The words made Gaius give a start, pen posed over the paper, ready to sign it and hand it over to one of the nurses to copy. "Who?"

"The druid. Merlin."

"That's too bad."

Uther obviously realized that Gaius was brushing off his words and didn't like it one bit. "It's unbecoming for him to be seen here. He's a druid. Just having him around will reflect badly on you and this office."

Gaius stiffened. "I'm sure I'll manage," he replied, his voice cold.

"Gaius, I'm only worried about you."

"You don't need to." He scribbled his name down and slammed the manila folder closed. Snagging a passing nurse outside, he handed it over to her. Gaius didn't even look as Uther headed out of the office. "He's my nephew, Uther."

Uther froze in the door way, his hand tightening on the frame.

"Hunith's son."

He spun around to stare his friend, stunned. "Hunith?" "I wasn't even aware she was back in Camelot. I have seen her since--."

"Igraine's funeral," Gaius finished. "She moved back a few years ago, not long after Merlin's powers started showing."

"And Merlin's father?"

There was a shrug. "She doesn't like to talk about it."

The expression on Uther's face was nothing short of stunned. He just stood there blinking. "How--- how's she been?"

"Good. She's doing well."

"That's good." He took a deep breath, rubbing his face." Gaius--," he started but was cut off.

"I'll call you in few days with the results of the blood work."

Uther looked like he was going to say something but thought better of it, just nodded and left.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Morgana appeared right beside Merlin's locker the following Monday, scaring the living hell out of him. "Jesus…" His grip tightened on his calculus book. "Do you have to do that?"

She didn't answer, just stared at him.

"What?"

"Will you please talk to him?"

Not this again. "Morgana…"

"Please?" She begged. "He's just been miserable the past few days and a prat to boot. More so than usual that is."

"He's always a prat. Somehow I can't see that getting any worse," he replied.

"For me? Please?"

Merlin sighed, shaking his head.

"Just come over tonight and give him a chance. All he wanted to do was protect you. You can't fault him for that. All you're succeeding in is being an unreasonable ass."

Morgana was right.

Damn.

"Fine," he muttered. "I'll come over tonight."

oOoOoOoOoOo

This was a very bad idea.

That was all Merlin could think as he took another gulp of the probably very expensive scotch. He was already well on his way to being drunk. Something that Arthur obviously noticed, if the smirk on his face was anything to go by.

Arthur laughed. "I knew that whole alcohol-is-bad-for-magic thing was just a ruse. You're just a light weight!"

Merlin replied by smacking him upside the head with a pillow, which made a satisfying thud.

There was a stunned look for a few minutes before Arthur launched himself at Merlin, knocking him to the floor. "I win!"

All he got in reply was a snort as Merlin rolled his eyes. "You're drunk."

"Am not!" Arthur defended, but any effect his words may have had was gone the moment he leaned too far to the left and flailed to the ground beside Merlin. "Ow."

"Drunk." was all Merlin said.

Arthur didn't even dignify that with a response. He just looked thoughtfully at Merlin. Usually this would be enough to make Merlin wary but he was too busy starting at the ceiling.

So Arthur did the only thing he thought was natural.

He leaned down and kissed him.

oOoOoOoOoOo

The first thing Merlin realized when he struggled back to consciousness was the fact that the sun was way too bright and why was it way too bright since he knew his bed was facing away from the window. This was followed by ouchpainpoundinghead as he tried to open his eyes and got a face full of sunlight.

A groan escaped him and he buried himself under the covering, wondering if this was his brother's idea of a joke. Then he froze as a tan arm was thrown over his side, wrapping around his waist and pulling him against a muscled chest.

Blinking, Merlin fought against the desire to just pass back out. He carefully began to extract himself from beneath the arm, tensing when it tightened his grip.

Merlin swayed a little as he got to his feet and glanced around, realizing that this was not in fact his room. For starters, it was far too large, not to mention the almost angry red shade of the walls. This was also followed by the realization that he was missing his shirt.

"Good morn'ng." There was a creak from the bed behind him as someone got up.

He spun around then relaxed, recognizing the blonde haired teen almost immediately. Arthur seemed to be more interested in the shirt that was hanging from his wrist than how they had both ended up half naked in bed together.

Merlin opened his mouth to say something but the only thing that came out was a groan as Arthur opened the curtains, causing the already bright room even brighter.

There was an amused look from Arthur. "If I had known that all it would take to shut you up would be to get you drunk then I would have done it a long time ago."

"Drunk?" Merlin asked. "Is that what happened last night."

Arthur went blank, his amusement fading. "You don't remember?"

"Um… I remember Morgana and us talking and… it kind of gets a little fuzzy about there." He ran a hand through his already messy hair, trying desperately to remember something more. Something important. But, damnit, he couldn't seem to remember just what it was.

The look on Arthur's face made it clear that this wasn't what he wanted to hear. He just crossed the room, picking up what appeared to be Merlin's own shirt and tossed it over.

Merlin caught it and shook it out.

_Hands trailed up his side, shoving their way under his shirt and wouldn't you just know that Arthur would be just as pushy in this as well. This was pushed away along with any other thought as the shirt was pushed over his head and suddenly there was skin on skin and a sensation of hotgoodmore._

Merlin shook his head, trying to figure out if that was actually a memory or just a figment of his overactive imagination. Suddenly Arthur was there, right in front of him. Soft lips were pressed to his, quick but sure. Merlin though he saw fear and trepidation cross Arthur's face as he moved back.

"Huh," Merlin replied. "Okay then."

He grabbed Arthur by the scruff of the neck and pulled him back in.

"Prat.," he murmured against his lips.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Things fell together with surprising ease. The two both took the new direction of their relationship in stride. It seemed like a natural progression. Morgana didn't so much as blink and Gwen seemed pleased. Lance was heard mumbling something about losing twenty dollars but that was ignored.

So of course everything had to fall apart.

It was only natural.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Merlin frowned as Nimueh dragged him down the hallway. He wondered momentarily why he was allowing her to do this.

Whatever it was that she wanted to show him was clearly important enough that she'd show up at the high school and drag him off so he figured he might as well go along with it. She seemed to know where she was going, navigating the hallways with practiced ease.

Laughter caught his attention as they turned a corner and he froze. Nimueh was smirking from the corner of his eye.

Pain shot through him as he watched the scene. Nimueh's hand rested on his shoulder but he shrugged it off, disbelieving. Sophia leaned up and kissed Arthur again, smiling at him. He smiled back.

That smile faded as Arthur turned and caught sight of Merlin standing there, his face turning pale. "Merlin…" He slipped out of Sophia's grasp.

Merlin turned and bolted.

Arthur cursed and gave chase, ignoring Sophia's cries of indignation that followed.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Arthur caught up with Merlin as he headed past the attendance office. Grabbing his shoulder, Arthur spun Merlin around, only to have him yank himself out of Arthur's grasp and back up against the wall. "Merlin…" It hurt to see Merlin flinch away from him like that.

"Arthur, just… don't." Merlin shook his head and curled up into himself.

"No, you have to understand. You need to understand. My father would kill me if he found out that I'm with you."

Merlin looked like he wanted nothing more than to disappear right then and there. He wrapped his arms around himself and glared.

"But it's just for appearances. Please, Merlin. Just give this a chance," he begged.

For a second it looked like Merlin was going to give in. He shifted slightly, like he was going to move forward. Then he stopped. "No. I can't."

"What?"

"I can't do this. I can't be anyone's dirty little secret. I refuse to." With that Merlin spun around and headed for the door.

"Merlin! Wait!"

Eyes flashed gold and Arthur found himself bouncing off an invisible wall. Stunned, he stared at patch of apparently empty space he'd just collided with. He reached out and his hand hit something solid. The air in front of him rippled, almost like water, but when he pressed harder it solidified.

Merlin stared back at him, hand held out, blue eyes still tinged with gold.

Of course, Arthur remembered, Merlin was a druid for a reason.

Then, like the first time they had met, Merlin was gone.

oOoOoOoOoOo

It was about a week and a half before Arthur saw Merlin again. The weather seemed to be mirroring his mood. It was miserable outside, raining off and on and constantly cloudy. Heavy winds bent trees and toppled over trashcans.

Merlin was practically invisible at school. The only way Arthur even knew that he was coming at all was the fact that Morgana mentioned an experiment they were working on in the lab a few times.

Not that Arthur had really tried to talk to her about Merlin after the first couple of days. All he had received for his efforts was a disgusted look and a cool attitude for the rest of the day. Even Gwen had detached herself from Lance's side and he had seen little more of her than he had Merlin.

Lancelot pouted for two days before stealing Arthur's fries one day during lunch on Wednesday and calling him a cock-blocker. He was the first person Arthur could even mention Merlin's name to without getting a glare in return. "You screwed up big time," was all Lance said, probably tired of listening to Arthur's whining, and he left it at that.

Trust his best friend to point out the obvious.

He went to Merlin's house a few times only to have his mother tell him that the boy wasn't there. But with the barely concealed guilt in Hunith's eyes and the way Mordred hung around in the background, just staring at him with those piercing eyes, Arthur had a feeling he was being lied to. He even thought he had seen a familiar head of dark hair disappearing behind a pair of swishing curtains from a second story window as he left one day.

It was actually kind of anti-climatic when he finally did run into Merlin. Having him smack head first into Arthur, head buried in a large textbook, sending the both of them sprawling to the ground, wasn't exactly how he imagined it happen. And Arthur had imagined it, not that he would admit it out loud. All of those encounters were dramatic, loud confrontations that usually ended up with Merlin pinned to the wall, helpless under Arthur's ministrations.

Of course Merlin had proved that he wasn't exactly helpless.

That was all Arthur could think about as stared at Merlin, who was looking at him with something akin to panic in his eyes. Arthur knew that look. It was the look of a cornered animal, one that wanted more than nothing than to flee.

"Merlin…" he began, but Merlin just shook his head, backing away.

"I have to go."

"Wait!"

But Merlin just shot past him and out the door, right into the downpour.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"Damn it, damn it, damn it!" Merlin tossed his backpack against the brick wall, ignoring it as it fell to the ground.

This wasn't him. Merlin was many things but a coward wasn't one of them. He ran a hand through his hair, leaving it even more disarrayed than normal. Why the hell he had thought even trying to be in any sort of relationship with Arthur was a good idea he didn't know. Knights were all the same.

Anger bubbled up in him. All this was Arthur's fault. The self-centered, arrogant prick. A strange tingling sensation began to build up in his arms, but he was too incensed to pay much attention to it. Instead he gave the backpack a firm kick, sending it skittering halfway down the stairs. The sensation reached his fingers and he realized just too late what it was. By then it was too late.

Every window around him abruptly shattered, spraying him with glass that did nothing more than bounce harmlessly off of him.

"Damn it," he muttered again.

He bit his bottom lip, wondering if he should stay around and try to explain the mess or take off. It wasn't unheard of that random magical accidents happened. Still, something like this would cause more attention than he wanted.

Mind made up, Merlin took off down the stairs, grabbing his backpack on the way down, and headed for the parking lot before someone caught him.

Enthusiastic clapping from behind him made him freeze. It would be just his luck if someone caught him.

He spun around to find Nimueh standing there, a pleased smirk on her face. "Now that was impressive, Emrys."

"What do you want?"

She pretended to look hurt. "Now, now, all I wanted to do was make sure that you were all right. I heard that you had gotten into a fight with that… Knight of yours."

"I doubt that." Somehow he wouldn't put it past her to come just to gloat. "But as you can see, I'm fine."

"Yes, I can see." The grin she gave him couldn't be called anything more than lecherous. "Well it's all for the best anyways. He was just getting in the way of your destiny."

"Destiny," he muttered. The word made him snort.

"You have a great destiny ahead of you Emrys. You just need someone with you who will help you reach your true potential."

"Someone like you, you mean?"

She just smiled.

Merlin just shook his head. "Now you sound like the bloody school councilor. I'll tell you the same thing I told her. Screw destiny." He watched as the knowing smile fell from her face. "And I don't need any help. From you or from Arthur or from anyone."

He turned on his heel and took off for his car, ignoring her calling his name after him.

oOoOoOoOoOo

If he hadn't been digging through his backpack for a missing set of notes, Merlin probably would have completely missed the phone call. It was the light flickering that caught his attention-- he must have forgotten to turn up the volume again.

Gwen's picture appeared on the screen.

"Please tell me that you know where my poli-sci notes are," Merlin answered as he flipped the phone open.

There was silence from the other end of the line before a different female voice spoke from the other end of the line. "Merlin?"

"Morgana?" Why would she be calling from Gwen's phone when he knew for a fact she had one for herself? A very nice, very expensive one that probably cost more than his computer.

He became very aware of sniffling from the other end of the line. "What's wrong?"

"I-- Arthur--."

Merlin was immediately worried. "Is something wrong with Arthur?"

Her voice caught. "It's Nimueh. She has him. I saw it, Merlin. She's gonna…"

He didn't have to hear her finish the sentence. "Where?"

"Gaius' office."

"I'll be right there. I--- Damn it! Mom has my car!"

"Please! You have to--." Her voice cut off as he heard another female talk to her from the other end of the phone. It was a different voice that spoke next. "I called Lance to come get us. We'll come get you."

"I'll be waiting." Flipping the phone closed, he grabbed his jacket and headed for the stairs. Pausing at the bottom, he ran back up and snatched up the magic book he kept safe under his bed.

Merlin had the feeling he was going to need all the help he could get.

oOoOoOoOoOo

The front door to the office was wide open when the car skidded to a stop. They had probably broken more than a few traffic laws trying to get there but none of them thought twice. Morgana was still pale and looking slightly stunned, but had refused to stay behind.

Merlin was the first one out of the car, running through the doorway with the others right behind him. He tried to insist that they stay behind. Merlin knew just how powerful Nimueh really was and how crazy she could be. They were in danger just by following him but they ignored it.

The offices looked deserted and undisturbed. All of the front rooms were empty when they searched. It was Gwen who had caught sight of the slumped and pale figure at the end of the hall.

"Dr. Gaius!"

In a second, both he and Morgana were kneeling beside him. Gwen and Lance hovered nervously nearby, glancing around as if they expected Nimueh to pop out at any moment.

"Uncle Gaius?" he asked, hoping against hope that Gaius was okay. Morgana reached over and felt for a pulse.

"He's alive."

There was a groan in response and eyes blinked up at them. "Of course I'm alive," Gaius mumbled. "It'll take more than her to take me out." He tried to sit up, only succeeding in slumping against the wall. Merlin reached over to help him. "I'm too old."

"Where's Arthur?" asked Morgana.

Another groan answered her and Gaius' eyes fluttered closed. For one long moment Merlin was scared that his uncle was gone. His eyes struggled open again. He waved his arm down towards the back of the office. "Exam Room 7."

Merlin nodded, standing and turning to the other two. "Can you guys get him outside?"

"Yeah," Lance replied while Gwen nodded beside him. Morgana backed away as Lance wrapped an arm around Gaius and hauled him to his feet, almost falling over when the older man lurched forward. Gwen was on his other side, helping to catch him before they crashed. "We got it," grunted Lance.

"Right." Merlin let out a breath and exchanged a look with Morgana. "Let's go."

Exam Room 7 was at the end of the hallway, unused for anything other than storage. The door sat askew, knocked off its hinges.

The two pushed through and froze at the sight. Uther was lying off to the side, a sickly looking pool of blood around him. His chest was rising and falling in shallow breath-- he was still alive. Nimueh had Arthur magically pinned to the wall, choking as he grasped to tear away the hand at his throat that wasn't there.

Immediately Merlin's hand shot out and his eyes flashed gold as he hissed words under his breath. Nimueh flew back, bouncing off an x-ray machine and crashing to the floor, unconscious. Arthur slid to the floor, gasping.

Merlin crossed the floor and knelt beside Arthur, who was looking stunned, as Morgana ran to her father's side.

Arthur blinked, reaching out to brush a hand against his temple. "You're eyes are gold."

"Yeah, they do that sometimes."

"It's kinda hot."

Merlin let out a laugh. "Come on. Let's get you and your father out of here."

"Dad?" Arthur asked, confused. Then his eyes widened as he remember what exactly happened. "Dad!" He looked frantically around the room, before his gaze landing where Morgana was struggling with the unconscious man.

"He's still breathing," Morgana called as they ran across the room.

With Morgana and Merlin's help they managed to drag Uther towards the door, turning slightly green and blanching as his foot scraped through the edge of the blood.

Merlin felt himself get yanked backwards, losing his grip on Uther and sending the other two stumbling into the hallway.

He gasped as the door magically righted itself and slammed shut.

"You should have stayed away."

Nimueh was standing behind him, arm held out, looking annoyed but strangely unruffled.

"Why are you doing this?"

"It's your destiny, Emrys. I refuse to let you jeopardize that."

"By killing me?!" he exclaimed.

She snorted. "I'm not going to kill you. But I am going to stop you from stopping me. I'll finish the Pendragons off once and for all."

He scrambled back, hitting the now solid door. "Nimueh, no!"

"You'll thank me for this."

"You're insane!"

The air around them crackled with her power. It danced across his skin and he could feel his own beginning to rise in response. Why the hell did he leave the magic book in the car?

Nimueh held out her hand towards him as it began to glow. She couldn't do this. He never thought this would be something she'd be capable of. She was going to kill Arthur.

No.

"No!"

His own hands shot out as he felt all the pent up magic he usually kept a tight lid on escape him. Magic collided with magic and there was a bang, massively loud. The next thing he knew he was flying off his feet. There was a shriek, and his world went black.

oOoOoOoOoOo

There was a blindingly bright light in his eyes as Merlin woke back up. A moan escaped him as he tried to turn away from the source. The movement sent pain through every part of his body. He whimpered and flinched.

"Merlin?"

The tired, familiar voice sounded hopeful. He struggled to open his eyes, wincing against the light. A familiar pair of blue eyes stared back. "Arthur?" his own voice was scratchy. "Where am I?"

Arthur reached down and brushed a hand through his hair. Merlin couldn't help but lean into the touch, hearing the blonde give a soft laugh in response. "Camelot General."

A frown touched Merlin's face. "Hospital?" Arthur nodded. "Gaius? Your father?"

"Gaius was fine. A few broken ribs. Dad… it was touch and go with him for a while. But he woke up yesterday and already wants to go home." Arthur's fingers gently brushed across Merlin's scalp before trailing down the side of his face, lingering on a bandaged temple.

"Nimueh?"

"Cops took her away. Whatever it was that you two did destroyed half on Gaius' offices. She'll be in psychic ward for a long time."

"Hm…" Merlin leaned back against the pillows. "You okay?"

"Me?" Arthur let out a laugh. "I'm fine. You, however… You've been unconscious for three days now."

Merlin looked incredulous, before breaking out into a grin. "You were worried about me."

"Of course I was worried! They couldn't tell me when you would wake up or even if you would!" Arthur wrapped his hand around Merlin's. His fingers ran across his palm, tracing strange patterns. "I don't want to lose you."

"You won't," replied Merlin.

Arthur looked like he was going to say something but he got up instead. As he began to pull away Merlin tightened his grip on the hand. Arthur sent him a reassuring grin. "I'm just going to get your mother. Her and Mordred have been worried sick."

Merlin groaned and let his head drop back, already imagining the lecture he was going to get.

Arthur leaned down and brushed his lips against Merlin's, resting their foreheads together as he gently pulled away.

"We'll work this out. I promise."

Merlin was going to hold him to that.

oOoOoOoOoOo

His mother was understandably upset but was just happy that he was okay for the moment. There hadn't been a lecture yet but he was sure it would come when he was better. Mordred just seemed disappointed that there wasn't a cast because 'that would have been completely awesome'.

Gaius came by to visit him a few times, along with Gwen and Lance. Uther was released the next day and much to Merlin's surprise the man dropped by his room before he left, Arthur by his side, grinning.

"Hello, Mr. Pendragon. Hey, Arthur."

Hunith spun around, ready to introduce herself. Then she froze when she caught sight of the figure, immediately recognizing him even after all this time. "Uther?"

"Hello, Hunith." Uther shifted uncomfortably under her gaze. "It's been a while."

Her face softened, obviously taking in his distress. "Yes, it has." She moved forward and to both of boys' surprise she wrapped her arms around him in a hug.

After a surprised hesitation, he returned the gesture.

Merlin exchanged a look with Arthur. "Am I the only one who feels like they've missed something?"

"Nope," Arthur said, shaking his head in disbelief.

Mordred just popped his bubblegum.

oOoOoOoOoOo

The changes were obvious when he returned to school. Where knights had once gone out of their way to pick on him, even with Arthur around, they now avoided him like the plague. Teachers were looking at him with something akin to fear and other druids with looked with reverence. What happened with Nimueh had gotten around school faster than he had been afraid of.

The druids that had once looked at him with disgust for refusing to use his powers now seemed to think he was some sort of savior. They seemed to have more faith in Nimueh's ranting about destiny than he did.

But he just shook it off and ignored them all.

This seemed to offend the other druids, who sudden wanted to be around Merlin, but the knights seemed happier with this arrangement.

Reactions like this had been what he was afraid of. This was why he had gone out of his way to hide just how powerful he was.

His own powers seemed more out of control lately, he noted with annoyance as the double doors flung open before he even touched them. That got him more than one stare as he headed out into the sunshine.

There was still other students milling in the parking lot but one caught his attention.

Arthur just grinned at him and waved as he approached.

"You're sitting on my car," Merlin noted absently.

Rolling his eyes, Arthur slid off. There was a moment of silence between them, as Merlin gripped his book tighter and Arthur just shifted uncomfortably. "Oh, hell," he muttered, before grabbing Merlin by the arm and tugging him forward.

Arthur's lips captured his own in a sweet, chaste kiss. Merlin leaned forward, wanting to deepen it, only to have Arthur pull back, the prat. He licked his lips and glanced up at him.

Arthur just smiled at the slightly befuddled look on his druid's face. "Come on. I'll let you drive me home." A quick kiss, then Arthur slid around to the passenger side of the car.

Merlin just stood there for a moment, staring at Arthur, who looked back, amused.

"You with me?"

Yes, Merlin thought to himself as he grinned, getting into the driver's seat. Arthur immediately started bitching about Merlin's choice of music, but he just reached over and turned the radio up.

He certainly was.


End file.
